


The what now?

by See_Kay_Write



Series: NaNo17 [5]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 04:41:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12697572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/See_Kay_Write/pseuds/See_Kay_Write
Summary: If it hadn't been the mayor's sister's babysitter's cousin, they wouldn't even have this case.For the prompt: write a chapter about an old sandwich





	The what now?

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man I haven't had anything publish ready for Numb3rs since I was posting on a certain other fan fiction website, I've missed this fandom and I should bring some of my old stuff over... 
> 
> This is the other half of Day 9 of my NaNo. Got a prompt you want to see me try? Leave it in the comments!

The sandwich, that was the odd thing out here.  He'd been over the evidence so many times now, and it just kept coming back to that odd sandwich, on a plate, in the corner of the room.  It was baloney, and looked (and smelled) like it had been there a few days.  The victim didn't have any baloney in the house, didn't have any plates like that (fine china, with a delicate light blue swirl around the edge), didn't even like the stuff.

 

Who the hell brought an old sandwich to a break in, Don wondered, staring at the picture.

 

They'd run it through the system, hoping to find something similar, but nope, no break ins plus apologetic sandwich offering.  Angry sandwich forgetting?  Someone apathetic enough about the lunch and fine china choices to just leave it?  Whatever the sandwich motive was, it was something new.  Plus, he should probably leave the sandwich profiling to Megan.

 

He tossed his pen on his desk and leaned back to stretch.  If it wasn't the mayor's sister's baby sitter's cousin, he wouldn't even have this case in the first place.  _Someone_ somewhere along the line had insisted this needed full FBI resources on this case and, probably while laughing, LAPD had gladly handed it over to continue the work on gangsters and larger thieves. 

 

No, Don wasn't bitter about where he was spending his Friday night, no sir.

 

He did start to wonder what exactly he'd done to Assistant Director Wright to get his particular assignment.  No, wait.  The Morton Fiasco.  Never mind.

 

He got up, got himself another cup of coffee and poured over the information from the LAPD one more time while waiting for his informant to get back to him.  Megan was on a date with Larry, there was no way he was calling her back from that without something solid to go on.  He'd sent David and Colby out to run down a couple of leads the LAPD had put together but hadn't had a chance to act on before the case got handed off.  Colby was getting that caged in look brought on by too much paperwork and even David was getting antsy to do something that was not look at pictures of sandwiches on plates, and really, Don was only hurting himself by this point by not sending them out.

 

That damn sandwich though…

 

Half an hour later, just about the time Don was going to pull rank and take back one of the leads he'd passed off for himself, his informant called back, wanting to meet.  ASAP.

 

Hell, if Derek didn't have anything better to do at 7 at night on a Friday, neither did Don, apparently.   Besides, the quicker this could be wrapped up, the happier everyone involved would be.

 

He shot off a text to David and Colby, letting them know where he'd be.  He hesitated, then didn't text Megan just yet.  Wild Card date night and all.  He tried not to think about it more than he had to.  It was great that they were dating, he was happy for both of them.  He just tried to keep his head out of the mechanics of the thing if he could manage it.  It was better for everyone. 

 

One trip to Pawn and More (he very carefully did not ask about the and More, as per the agreement with the informant) and he could be home for the night and deal with this at a more reasonable time on Monday.

 

 

-

David pulled the sedan into position and killed the engine.  Colby pulled out the binoculars and they settled in for a stake out of the Mayor's sister's babysitter's cousin's ex-fiance's apartment block.

 

They sat in silence for a few moments, when suddenly, Colby remarked, "You know, it's not the sandwich that's weird, it's the plate."

 

David raised an eyebrow and replied dryly, "I'm pretty sure it's the sandwich that's weird."

 

Colby shook his head, "Look, if I'm going to take a sandwich with me, it's on a bag, or a paper plate, but a china plate?  That's weird.  And noticeable, to be carrying around."

 

David let his gaze sweep the (empty) sidewalk in search of their intended stakeout target, and half shrugged,  "Okay, I’m not saying the plate's _not_ weird, but it's clearly an old sandwich, the bread's all stale and the meat's getting moldy, and it's just sitting around for a couple days.  It's not even a good sandwich our guy is carting around to a robbery!"

 

Colby slumped in his seat, "We're positive it's not the victim's? victim's friend? Boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

 

"Nope, David sighed, "she's pretty adamant it's not hers, and she's never seen the plate before in her life."

 

"So what's the deal with this sandwich, and what did we do to get this case?"  Don was not the only one missing out on a Friday night, Colby was not happy at having to postpone the first date he'd had in a while that looked like it might actually go well.

 

David peered at some movement at the bus stop down the street, but the hair color seemed wrong for the guy they were looking for,  "Two words: Morton.  Fisasco."

 

Colby groaned, watching a gray sedan do a second loop of the block, "Really pretty sure that was punishment enough alllllll on its own."  He took a note of the license plate, but didn't run it yet.  Could just be someone lost.

 

David took a sip of his tea, and grimaced at the temperature,  "You know that, and I know that, and Don _really_ knows that, but it's Wright you gotta convince."

 

Colby snorted, "Yeah, no, I like my job.  Hey, does that look like our guy?"

 

David grinned, "Why yes, I think it does, shall we go introduce ourselves?"

 

-

 

"A _sandwich?_ Really?" Larry sounded incredulous.

 

"I know, right?" Megan agreed, "It's one of the stranger calling cards I've encountered."

 

"You're sure it's a calling card?" Larry asked.

 

"No, I'm not sure," Megan admitted, "It hasn't shown up in any other crime that we've search for, but… it's just a feeling I get from it."

 

"At least not any known crimes," Larry nodded.

 

"Exactly!" Megan beamed.

 

"A sandwich," Larry shook his head and took a bite of his own dinner, "Well, I hope this meal is far more appetizing."

 

"By far," Megan agreed, "The company doesn't hurt either."

 

Larry smiled, equal parts reverently and shyly and they ate their meal in companionable silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Guys. Help me. Wright, is he fanon or canon? I'm not far enough in my rewatch and IMDB failed me. Someone please fact check my sanity?


End file.
